Local Love Valentine’s Contest!!

2012-02-04

Congratulations to our winner, Tammy!  Thanks to everyone who participated.  We’ll be doing this again.

We want to share of our love of locally grown flowers, and what better time than Valentine’s!   And by sharing your local love, you could win a bright, fresh bouquet of Ontario grown blooms for your Valentine! Maybe it’s the multitude of colourful gerberas, or the charm of a daisy or spray mum, the simplicity of tulips or freesia, or the burst of summer colour from sunflowers and dahlias.  Just by sharing your local love, you could win a romantic bouquet of gorgeous, locally grown blooms.

1) Leave a comment on this post, telling us what your fave local flower is, and why. (having a peek at some of our previous blog posts might give you some ideas)

2)Head over to our  Facebook page and “like” us.

3)Entries must be received by midnight, Friday February 10th On Saturday, the 11th, we’ll draw a random winner from the posts. You must comment and like us to be to be entered.

Delivery can be arranged in Kitchener or Waterloo only, or may be picked up at our studio

Flowers must be delivered or picked up on or before February 14th

The prize has no cash value, and no substitutions

Only one entry per person.

Good Luck!

 

Our fave? That’s a toughie,  because they’re all so wonderful!  But, one that seems to show up frequently in the studio is one that doesn’t look at all local!  It is in fact a tropical, but our amazing growers have perfected it right here.  It’s the anthurium, and because it lasts for so long, and comes in many great shades, even chocolate brown, we love it!  We’ve used it here, in a yummy shade of green, called “pistachio”. Thanks for visiting, and good luck to everyone!

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Three Plant Picks for Non-green Thumbs

2012-01-19

So, now there’s a device that can be inserted into the soil of your plants, and it will send a tweet when it’s time for watering.  The leaf-shaped gadget is available for $100.  If you need a $100 gadget to tell you when to water, maybe you should re-think your plants.  Here are some easy-care – if you kill these – just give up, suggestions;

Sanseveria, or Snake Plant

This will survive just about anything.  Likes to be ignored.  Shove it in a dark corner, or a sunny window, and it’s happy.  Throw a little water on it, when you think of it.  It’s slow growing, so re-potting isn’t a worry.  It can be easily divided into smaller plants, or stretched out into a window box for a more modern display.

Pothos

A popular plant for hanging baskets, but is nicer when kept compact, and can be purchased as a small plant and set on a desk or table.  There are several varieties, but the nicest, hippest one is limelight, a bright shade of lime green.  They tolerate sun and shade, and put up with a willy-nilly watering approach, and are great air cleaners.  Don’t be tempted to train it to go across the ceiling or window frames.  Please. Don’t.

Orchids

Yes, orchids.  Phalaenopsis, or the butterfly orchid is the most prevalent and is the easiest to care for.  And by care for, I mean ignore. Place in a bright spot, out of direct sun,  and ignore.  Sure, look at it and admire it’s elegant blooms, and marvel that they’ve lasted for 2 or 3 months, but please don’t over water it.  Orchids typically grow out of tree trunks, or anchor themselves to the side of a cliff, and take  moisture from the air, rather than their roots.

If you feel inclined to give lots of TLC, misting is best and  this can be done daily.  Orchids are usually double-potted, meaning they are planted in plastic grower pot, and then set into a more decorative one.  Hold the plant in the grower insert over the sink, and let the water run through, no more than once a week.  Usually, I don’t bother with that, and just dribble small amounts of water on top of the roots. Never let it sit in water, and always make sure that the moss or mulch it’s planted in is a little dry  between watering.  Be sure to purchase orchids from plant professionals who know how to take care of them.  Grocery stores and other mass retailers carry them at cheap prices, but the care they receive , length of time on the shelf, or how they are packed when you take them home can mean a dead orchid a week later.  Invest in the best and you’ll love your blooms for months.

 

There’s a pattern in the care tips of the plant suggestions;  don’t kill them with kindness.  Frankly, most plants die from over-watering, which causes the roots to rot,  rather than from under watering.  Improper lighting is also a factor.  Few plants can tolerate full, direct sun, so make sure they’re not getting a sunburn.

 

Plants to avoid

This is my hit list of problem plants.

Ivy

Any ivy. They are spider-mite magnets.  Without constant attention, and misting and watering, and removal of dead leaves, they quickly become a haven for the tiny web builders that suck the life out of plants, leaf  by leaf.

Deifenbachia

See ivy plants.

Planter baskets

A favourite for business gifts.  They usually contain ivy AND deifenbachia.   If you manage to find a planter that doesn’t contain these, chances are that the plants are still incompatible, and will slowly die, one by one.  If they manage to live for a few months, they will need to be separated and re-potted, as one of them will start to take over, and it will start look unruly and messy.  Send an orchid.

And now, if you’ll excuse, me, the pothos is winding it’s way toward the ceiling fixture, and needs to be stopped.

 

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Getting More Floral Bang for Your Buck

2011-12-29

I was inspired by this arrangement, thrown together from some of my left-overs, in time for a Boxing Day gathering. The stars of the show are the amaryllis, which were purchased for a wedding  that took place on December 17th, a full week before this was created!  Not only are the amaryllis more than a week old, blooms that had opened earlier were plucked off and used for the Bridesmaids’ bouquets.  In other words, only half of the stems are present, and they were purchased 13 days before this photo was taken!  The other flowers are parrot tulips, quite a bit larger and a bit more expensive than regular tulips, but their presence speaks volumes.

 

So, would you pay $12-$15 for a stem of amaryllis?  Before you gasp and say “I would never pay that for a single stem”, consider the size of the flowers, 10-12 inches across when fully open, and the longevity.   They are what I call  investment flowers.

 

Cheap flowers are readily available, and easy to buy.   Carnations and roses are packaged by the dozen, and are often the same price as our lovely amaryllis.  But do they have the same value or visual impact?  Those bunches of carnations and roses are often loss-leaders, and are almost always of a lower grade, meaning that the blooms are smaller, and the varieties are the most basic.  No stars here, just a cheap and cheerful mass, destined to be arranged hap hazzardly  with the filler greens that came with them.

Keep it Simple

Talking with everyday consumers and brides, a frequent comment is “but they’re expensive, aren’t they?”, usually in reference to a flower that is either exotic, such as an orchid, or something with a very large bloom, such as hydrangea.  Well, they may cost more per stem than another flower, but it takes several smaller flowers to make up the volume and impact of a single hydrangea.  For weddings, the look and longevity of a just a few, carefully used orchids  more than justify their cost, compared to the number of smaller, cheaper flowers that it will take to achieve the same size and beauty of bouquet. Having a dinner party?  You can try to make something out of a mixed bouquet, with a stem of this, and 2 stems of that, some sort of tall, pokey flower, and some airy, piddly fern,  or you can you use one or 2 hydrangeas for a simple, elegant effect.  Cut. Plop. Fabulous.     The same with a gorgeous stem of amaryllis, or a beautiful stem of orchids.

Dress to Impress

For my corporate clients, I will always suggest  a single over-sized, attention-getting  tropical flower, like a heliconia, paired with a chunky stem of bamboo, and a large, shiny leaf,  over several small flowers for maximum impact.  One 12- 15 inch stunner in red or orange beats out a few of this and that.  Hands down.  Lasts longer too.

I Hate Yellow Roses

At least I used to.  Maybe you’re not a fan either, of any roses.  Most people I know who say they don’t like roses, or that they don’t last very long, have only purchased or received  the everyday,  run of the mill types.  The ones usually carried by grocery stores, discount retailers, and old-school flower shops.  They are varieties that are plentiful, and are usually very basic colours.  When, and if, they open, they are smaller, and  not very interesting.  They are the “B” varieties,  and I’m not a fan of most of them.  These are not what I  use in weddings, or  sell to my customers, because they often have low petal counts and smaller heads,and so, once again, they have no impact, no “wow” factor.  I’d rather hear “oh my gosh, LOOK at that rose”, than, “oh, roses…”.  There are yellow roses to die for!  Large, ruffly blooms with hints of green or cherry red.  And the same for peach and pink varieties.  The rose, revisited.  Just a couple glamour beauties are far more stunning than a whole dozen of whatevers. And skip the baby’s breath.  Unless you have a whole bunch of it. In a single vase. But that’s another topic.

Oh, and the amaryllis?  It’s now day 16, and 3 out 4 blooms are still with me.  That’s what I call an investment flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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